Hearing Signs, Seeing Voices: The Politics of Voice Pitch Correction I The New School

From the lure of Circe and Echo, to the disembodied modern oracle of Siri, the transient mystique of the voice lends itself to the ineffable. Both of and beyond the body, the voice is a unique instrument for illustrating abstract concepts, from the political vox populi to the philosophical voice of conscience. When lifted to such heights, however, the diffusion of the metaphor leaves the more mundane, throat-bound physical voice behind. Symbolic trumps sonic—the ideal outweighs the physical.

Speakers:
Catherine Provenzano, NYU

Catherine Provenzano is a PhD candidate in ethnomusicology at New York University. Her research is on vocal production in contemporary North American pop and pop country, and she conducts ethnographic work in New York, Los Angeles, and Nashville recording studios. She focuses particularly on tuning plug-ins, the ways they inform performance, production, and listening practices, and the ways the voice is parametrized in software. She is also a singer.

Location:
Wollman Hall, Eugene Lang College
65 West 11th Street, New York, NY
Friday, April 1, 2016 at 9:30 am - 8:00 pm